Are Travel Agents Worth It? Yes, In More Ways than One

Objective travel advice, access to exclusive packages, and making the most of your travel budget are all great reasons to rely on a travel advisor to help plan your next trip. Whether travel agents are “worth it” might depend on the type of trip you’re taking, your experience with travel planning, and what you expect from a travel experience. However, you may be surprised to discover travel advisors can absolutely save you time, money, and stress with their expertise.

For streamlined, personalized, and truly memorable trips, we think travel agents are absolutely worth it! Travel advisors offer value both before and during your trip.

Travel Advisors Provide Experience and Expertise

Travel advisors are personable, knowledgeable professionals who can answer your travel questions and support you and your travel companions on many different types of trips. Like beautiful art or a delicious meal, a great vacation—whether it’s across the world or to a neighboring state—is all about the details.

Travel advisors plan hundreds of trips a year. Advisors often specialize in one region of the world or type of trip, such as safaris, resort getaways, ski trips, or luxury cruises. Advisors use this expertise, including leveraging their own first-hand travel experience and that of their clients, to deliver personalized recommendations and customized itineraries. A travel advisor with intimate knowledge of a destination can also recommend experiences or attractions that aren’t talked about online, like a quaint bed and breakfast or an engaging tour. They can also help you navigate potentially nuanced destinations, like a country with a US Department of State level two or three travel advisory.

Travel Advisors Tackle Complex Itineraries

For simple trips, booking a flight and hotel yourself may be manageable. For longer, more complicated adventures, using a travel advisor can help you make the most of your time away.

For example, working alongside a professional ensures you’re booking the transportation that fits your needs, whether it be the quickest way to your destination, the most affordable way to travel, or something else entirely. More complex, multi-destination trips require not only round trip transportation but travel between destinations as well. During a European getaway, air, rail, and road are all options. Deciding which is best for your specific situation is a job for a travel agent!

Travel Advisors Save Time

Comparing trip details in multiple browser windows can be time-consuming and irritating. A travel advisor knows exactly where to look for the information you need to make decisions about your vacation. Your travel advisor will get to know your interests and needs. Having this information helps them narrow down the huge number of travel options available to a manageable number of choices.

Even if you’re able to find great bargains or exclusive vacation packages, integrating them into a cohesive travel itinerary on your own can be tricky. Reviewing transportation and accommodation options, reading fine print, and filling out customs and visa forms isn’t just time-consuming, it can also lead to uncertainty as to whether you’ve built the best itinerary or received the best value. Instead, have your travel advisor worry about the details while saving you time as well as unpleasant surprises later on.

Travel Advisors Save Money

One reason many people choose online booking platforms is the perception of the great deal they’re getting. A major benefit of using a travel advisor is the direct and in-person communication. Let your travel advisor know if budget is an important part of your travel plan so they can find the best deals available. When a travel advisor compares flights and accommodations, they take into account fine print and fees. Unfortunately, online booking sites often hide these fees so they’re easy to overlook.

Travel advisors can also leverage their long term relationships with travel vendors like hotel chains, car rental services, and cruise lines to access exclusive travel packages that are more affordable than what’s offered to the general public. In fact, most travel advisors spend a lot of their time wading through dozens of vendor offers to find the right ones for their clients. Perhaps most importantly, many of these are only available for a limited time and are not listed online.

Travel Advisors Provide Certainty During Travel

Preparing, organizing, and problem-solving for trips involving long distances, crossing cultures and borders, or that others are relying on you to manage is complex and high stakes. While travel can be painfully uncertain, travel advisors act as your advocate in unforeseen situations. Having a direct line to live support means practical, real time problem solving for your specific issue.

Bad weather, lost luggage, and unexpected events can disrupt even well-planned itineraries and leave you feeling uneasy. Travel advisors can help sort out these uncertainties and ensure you receive refunds promptly if necessary. For example, a delayed or canceled flight and any resulting missed connections add immense stress to your vacation. When you work with a travel advisor, they can be the one to work with airline customer service representatives to receive priority rebooking.

Travel Advisors Know Travel Trends

For seasoned travelers especially, it isn’t just about the destination. It’s about a complete and immersive itinerary that makes the most of every moment. Modern travel is much different than in the past, with a bigger emphasis on limiting carbon footprints, respecting local cultures, and avoiding the exploitation of people and their natural resources. Ecofriendly or slow travel are sustainable and responsible forms of travel now emerging as mainstream, in part, due to the work of travel advisors.

Travel advisors are familiar with the internal workings of travel vendors and can attest to the commitment each has made (or hasn’t made) to more environmentally friendly practices and the overall experience they provide. Additionally, travel advisors can be familiar with the environmental conservation practices of a particular region, assuring that you don’t break any rules or run afoul of local mandates protecting ecosystems. Finally, travel advisors are familiar with the customs and cultures of a given region, helping you navigate activities like shopping locally to support native communities.